Wisconsin's Offensive Performance vs. Purdue Unseen in College Basketball in 15 Years
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If you tuned into Saturday's game between No. 16 Wisconsin and No. 7 Purdue and thought you were witnessing an historic offensive performance by the Badgers, you were correct. Greg Gard's team accomplished somthing that no other Division I college basketball team has done in the last 15 seasons.
Wisconsin pulled out an impressive 94-84 victory over Purdue at Mackey Arena on Saturday, one of the sport's toughest environments. But it wasn't simply the fact that the Badgers escaped West Lafayette with a win that was so stunning.
The Badgers finished the game shooting 61.5% from the floor, had just three turnovers and averaged 1.45 points per possession. Per former ESPN employee and college basketball stats guru Jared Berson, it's the first time a Division I team has shot over 60% and had three turnovers or less in a road game in 15 seasons.
As if that wasn't enough, Wisconsin also made 20-of-22 shots from inside the 3-point line, a 90.9% clip. That was also the highest two-point percentage for a road team in Division I in 15 years.
Wisconsin shot 20-22 (90.9%) inside the arc today.
— Jared Berson (@JaredBerson) February 15, 2025
That’s the highest 2-point field goal percentage by any Division I team in a road game over the last 15 years.
Not a bad afternoon for the Badgers, especially in Mackey Arena.
Wisconsin didn't solely rely on one player for offensive production on Saturday, either. John Tonje was the story, ending the game with 32 points while making 10-of-15 shots from the floor. Max Klesmit also dropped in 17 points and Nolan Winter ended the afternoon with 12. John Blackwell pitched in 11 points.
Jack Janicki, a freshman who entered Saturday's game averaging 1.7 points per game, knocked down four shots, including three-of-four from 3-point range. He ended the night with a career-high 11 points.
With the win, Wisconsin improved to 20-5 on the season, the second Big Ten team to hit 20 wins this year. The Badgers are also 10-4 in league play, sitting fourth in the conference standings and within striking distance of a Big Ten regular season title.
Although the Badgers got off to a rough start in conference play — falling to 0-2 in the two December games — they have kicked it into another gear since the calendar flipped to January.
They appear capable of making a push to win a third Big Ten title under Gard.
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GARD'S RESPECT FOR PAINTER, PURDUE: After Wisconsin's 94-84 win over Purdue at Mackey Arena, coach Greg Gard talked about the "great respect" he has for the Purdue program and coach Matt Painter. CLICK HERE
WHAT PAINTER SAID: No. 7 Purdue dropped a 94-84 decision to No. 16 Wisconsin at Mackey Arena on Saturday. Here's everything coach Matt Painter had to say following the loss. CLICK HERE
TONJE, BADGERS BEAT BOILERS: John Tonje scored 32 points and Max Klesmit added 17 as No. 16 Wisconsin took down No. 7 Purdue 94-84 at Mackey Arena on Saturday. CLICK HERE
Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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